Portable ice chest



p i 1962 M. GOTTSEGEN 3,028,042

PORTABLE ICE CHEST Filed Oct. 24, 1960 INVENTOR. MARTEN GOTTSEGEN I BY W ig rates atent Free 3,028,042 PORTABLE ICE CHEST York Filed Oct. 24, 1960, Ser. No. 64,367 4 Claims. (Cl. 220-91) This invention relates generally to portable ice chests and more particularly to an extremely lightweight ice chest, made of materials having good insulating but poor tensile properties, and the means for attaching carrying handles thereto.

The use of portable ice chests has in recent years become increasingly popular. Thus, such ice chests are now most frequently employed as insulated drink and food containers or coolers for campings, outings, picnics, and the like. As a general rule, these ice chests heretofore comprised an insulated, double-walled container made of a sturdy material such as steel. Quite obviously, the prior metal ice chests were quite heavy and difficult to carry from place to place. In addition, the metal construction made the cost of the prior ice chests relatively high, thereby limiting the more universal use thereof In an effort to overcome the above described disadvantages, there have more recently been proposed ice chests made from various new lightweight and inexpensive plastic materials, such as expanded polystyrenes or foam styrenes. While these plastic materials have excellent insulating qualities and are extremely light in weight, their use as a construction material for ice chests has been limited because of certain inherent physical characteristics.

When foam styrenes or the like are molded into a form such as an ice chest, the resulting structure is somewhat cork-like or spongy. The molded plastic is however rel-atively inelastic, low in tensile strength and deformable, so that the application of an undue stress at a localized point on the ice chest often resulted in permanent damage thereto. Such localized points of course included the points of attachment of the carrying handles to the ice chest. Thus, when the carrying handles were merely attached directly to the ice chest material, the handles ultimately tore through the material and came loose.

In an effort to overcome the aforementioned points of localized stress and more evenly distribute the weight of the chest, there were proposed reinforcing metal bands or strips which girdled or encircled the chest between the points of attachment of the carrying handles. The metal bands thus afiorded a form of sling which supported the entire Weight of the chest. While the proposed reinforcing bands were partially successful in alleviating the described stress problem, they were obviously undesirable in that they greatly increased the cost of the ice chest as well as once again increasing the weight thereof.

It is therefore an important object of the invention to provide a portable ice chest of molded foam styrene, or the like, having no metal reinforcing bands of the type heretofore employed.

Another object is to afford a portable ice chest of the character described which is lighter in weight than prior similar ice chests, and yet is most sturdy and durable.

A further object is to provide a portable ice chest of the character described having novel means for connecting a carrying handle thereto, said means including a bracket adapted to be clamped onto the ice chest.

Still another object is to afford a portable ice chest of 2 the character described which may be most inexpensively fabricated and yet is sufliciently strong to withstand normal usage and most efiicient for the purposes intended.

With the foregoing and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention consists of certain novel features of construction, arrangement and a combination of parts hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and particularly pointed out in the appended claims, itbeing understood that various changes in the form, proportion, size and minor details of the structure may be made without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

For the purpose of facilitating an understanding of my invention, I have illustrated in the accompanying drawings a preferred embodiment thereof, from an inspection of which, when considered in connection with the following description, my invention, its mode of construction, assembly and operation, and many of its advantages should be readily understood and appreciated.

Referring to the drawings in which the same characters of reference are employed to indicate corresponding or similar parts throughout the several figures of the drawmg:

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of a portable ice chest embodying the principles of the invention;

FIG. 2 is an end elevational view thereof;

'FIG. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary end elevational view illustrating certain details of construction; T

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on the plane of line 4-4 in FIG. 3 and viewed in the direction indicated; and

FIG. 5 is another fragmentary sectional view taken on the plane of line 55 in FIG. 4 and viewed in the direction indicated.

Referring now to the various figures of the drawings, the reference numeral indicates generally a portable ice chest embodying the principles of the invention. The ice chest 10 comprises an open-topped container 12 of generally rectangular configuration molded from one of the suitable leigh-tweight plastics hereinabove described, and having a pair of side walls such as 14 and a pair of end walls such as 16. Each of the end walls 16 is provided with a protruding top lip 18. The top lip 18 is generally rectangular in cross-section and includes a top surface 20, a bottom surface 22 and an outer surface 24 (see FIG. 4). Medial portions of the top and outer surfaces and 24 are recessed or bevelled as at 26 (see FIG. 3) for purposes which will become apparent as the description proceeds.

A removable cover 28 is provided for closing the container 12. The cover 28 is integrally molded from the same plastic material and includes an integrally formed continuous depending ridge 30. The ridge 30 defines a rectangle of complementary configuration with the container walls 14 and 16 and cooperates with said walls to afford an air-tight and frictional fit for the cover 28. Medial portions of the ends of the cover 28 are recessed as at 32 (see FIGS. 2, 3 and 4), thereby affording convenient handle spaces afiording ready access for the hands in removing or applying the cover.

A carrying handle 34 is connected to the ice chest 10, and the same may comprise a customary rectangular shaped bent wire rod member having an upper cross arm 36, a pair of depending legs 38, 38, and a pair of short, inwardly projecting legs 40, 40.

To connect the legs 40, to the container end walls 16, a pair of novel reinforcing and protective clamps 42 are employed. Each of the clamps 42 comprises a spring steel member the cross section of which is formed somewhat in the shape of a question mark. Thus, as seen in FIG. 4 of the drawings, the clamp 42 includes an arcuate upper portion 44, a straighter outer portion 46, an acutely bent or crimped portion 48, and a straight depending portion 50. The straight depending portion 50 is formedwith a central aperture 52, and when the clamp 42 is operationally mounted as illustrated, the aperture 52 is aligned with an aperture 54 formed through the end wall 16 of the container 12.. t

It is important to note that the area circumscribed by the curved portion 44, 46, 48 of the clamp 42 is some what smaller than the cross-sectional area of the top lip 18. Similarly, the width of the clamp 42 is slightly less than the width of the recessed lip portion 26. To operationally mount the clamp 42, the curved portion 44, 46, 48 thereof is forced over the recessed lip portion 26. The constricting spring action of the said curved portion causes a deformation of the spongy top lip 18, as seen in FIG. 4. At the same time, the said curved portion is positioned within the recessed lip portion 26, and the straight depending clamp portion 50 lies in tight face-toface bearing contact with the container end wall 16. The clamp 42 thus rigidly grips the top lip 18 with the crimped portion 48 over the entire width of the clamp bearing angularly up against the end wall 16 and the bottom surface of the top lip 18.

Each of the inwardly projecting legs 44), 40 of the handle 34 is positioned through a pair of the aligned apertures 52, 54 and a button-like locking member 56 is tightlyv positioned over the free end thereof. It will be noted that the locking member 56 may include a relatively large disc-like bearing member 58, which bearing member is partially counter sunk into the spongy end wall 16. It will thus be appreciated that the locking members 56 also aid in distributing the weight of the ice chest and preventing permanent damage to the deformable plastic material.

Since the clamps 42 actually grip the lips 18 of the container end walls 16, the force vectors set up by the weight of the container on the handles are transmitted and distributed through the clamps throughout the entire container end wall area (if not the entire container area). Thus, the localization of forces about the apertures 52, 54 is prevented resulting in adequate support of the container by the handle with minimum tearing of the material. Hence, the clamps not only reinforce the areas adjacent the apertures 52, 54 but also serve to so distribute the weight that the container itself helps to support its own Weight as well as that of its contents.

From the above description and drawings, it should be apparent that I have provided an extremely lightweight portable ice chest made of the desirable plastic materials described. The novel clamps 42 in cooperation with the locking members 56 permit the connection to the ice chest of a metal carrying handle such as 34 While preventing all damage to the deformable plastic material. At the same time, all prior heavy and complicated reinforcing and weight distributing devices such as the described girdling metal bands are eliminated. In addition, the entire ice chest may be so inexpensively fabricated as to put it within the reach of substantially all prospective purchasers.

Itis believed that my invention, its mode of construction and assembly, and many of its advantages should be readily understood from the foregoing without further description, and it should also be manifest that while a preferred embodiment of the invention has been shown and described for illustrative purposes, the structural details are nevertheless capable of wide variation within the purview of my invention as defined in the appended claims.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

l. A portable ice chest comprising a substantially rectangular open-topped container of molded foam styrene or the like, said container having a pair of side walls and a pair of end walls, a removable cover of molded foam styrene or the like associated with said container, an 1ntegral ridge of complementary configuration wlth said container walls depending from said cover, said ridge cooperating with said container walls to afford an airtight and frictional operational lit for said cover, a top lip integrally formed on each of said end walls, medial portions of said top lips being recessed, a question markshaped spring steel clamp mounttd on eachof said recessed top lip portions so that said recessed top lip portions are tightly gripped by the arcuate upper portions of said clamps and the depending straight portion'of each of said clamps bears against its adjacent end wall throughout in face-to-face contact, each of said depending straight clamp portions and adjacent end walls being formed with a pair of aligned apertures, a bent wire rod carrying handle having a pair of short inwardly projecting legs, each of said inwardly projecting legs being positioned through one of said pairs of aligned apertures, and a locking member secured to the free end of each of said inwardly projecting legs, said locking member including a relatively large disc-like bearing surface, said bearing surface being partially countersunk in the inner surface of the counter end wall associated therewith.

2. A portable ice chest comprising a container including a pair of side walls, a top lip integrally formed on each of said side walls, a resilient clamp mounted on each of said top lips so that portions of said lips are securely gripped thereby, a depending portion of said clamps adjacent said side walls, and a carrying handle connected to each of said depending clamp portions and associated side walls, said resilient clamp comprising a questonmark-shape spring steelmember having an arcuate top portion, a straighter outer portion, an acutely bent bottom portion and a straight depending portion, said arcuate top portion, straighter outer portion and acutely bent bottom portion being clamped over said top lip, said straight depending portion bearingagainst said side Wall, all of said portions of said clamp being integral one with the other, leaving no intermediate sharp protruding tabs or edges, each of said straight depending portions and associated walls being formed with a pair of aligned apertures therethrough, said carrying handle being mounted through said aligned apertures, and means within said container for retaining said carrying handle in operational position.

3. The portable ice chest of claim 2 in which said carrying handle includes inwardly projecting legs positioned through said aligned openings, said means comprises a locking member secured to the free end of each of said inwardly projecting legs, said locking member including a relatively large disc-like bearing surface, said bearing surface being partially countersunk in the inner surface of the container side wall associated therewith.

4. A portable ice chest comprising a substantially rectangular open-topped container of molded foam styrene or the like, said container having a pair of side walls and a pair of end walls, aremovable cover of molded foam styrene or the like associated with said container, a top lip integrally formed on each of said end walls, medial portions of said top lips being recessed, a question-markshaped spring steel clamp mounted on each of said recessed top lip portions so that said recessed top lip portions are tightly gripped by the arcuate upper portions of said clamps and the depending straight portion of each of said clamps bears against its adjacent end wall throughout in face-to-face contact, each of said depending straight clamp portions and adjacent end walls being formed with a pair of aligned apertures, a bent wire rod carrying handle having a pair of short inwardly projecting. legs,

each of said inwardly projecting legs being positioned through one of said pairs of aligned apertures, and a locking member secured to the free end of each of said inwardly projecting legs.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,053,855 Walter Sept. 8, 1930 6 Morrison May 15, 1951 Roop Nov. 23, 1954 Balint June 14, 1955 Bliss May 5, 1959 FOREIGN PATENTS Great Britain Mar. 9, 1933 Belgium July 15, 1954 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No. 3,028,042 April 3, 1962 Marten Gottsegen It is hereby certified that error appears in the above numbered patent requiring correction and that the said Letters Patent should read as corrected below.

Column 4, line 14L for "mounttd" read mounted line 29, for "counter" read container lines 37 and 38 for "queston-markshape" read question-mark-shape'd Signed and sealed this 17th day of July 1962.

lSEAL) Lttest:

ERNEST w. SWIDER DAVID LADD meeting Officer C Commissioner of Patents 

